Problem? No problem!

CaptionTom Rissman wants to keep you safe

Photo courtesy of Tom Rissman/StreetSafe.com

You're walking alone late at night, and you sense someone is following you. Is it possible to get protection from your cell phone without calling the police? "I have four daughters, so developing something that creates a layer of safety for those who feel vulnerable was important to me," said Tom Rissman, CEO of PeopleGuard LLC and one of the developers of the StreetSafe app. "I wanted to create a sort of personal mobile security system, and that's when we thought up StreetSafe." So why use StreetSafe instead of just calling 911? "People think 911 can instantly track where a cell phone is, and that's not the case," he said. "It can take up to six minutes for the police to track a phone because they need to get permission (to do so). If someone is in our system, we have them on GPS and don't need to get permission to track it, so it's instant." Rissman said the app offers two options — green and red. If you slide the red button, StreetSafe silently contacts your local 911 center with your location, tracks your every move through GPS and relays your position to the authorities, and transmits your identification information to the authorities – age, physical description, etc. "If you're in danger, keep your finger next to the red alarm and tuck the phone into your pocket," Rissman said. If you slide the green option, you're immediately connected to a call center staffed by trained safety advisors and off-duty police officers. Rissman said StreetSafe's non-emergency option — the green button -- sets them apart, because it allows the user to talk to experts who can offer safety tips before things get dangerous. "We call this the 'walk with me' service," he said. "Our staff is trained to help with any circumstance. It makes people feel better to know it's there, with or without a crisis." Concerned about your privacy? Rissman says the app is not a tracking device others can use against you. "Our information is kept solely to us and shared with the police and only the police" in case of emergency, he said. "We thought this would be most popular with college students, but young professional women seem to be using it most," he said. Cost for the app varies from $19.99 a month to $149.99 a year and includes the security service. Find out more at StreetSafe.com.

You're walking alone late at night, and you sense someone is following you. Is it possible to get protection from your cell phone without calling the police? "I have four daughters, so developing something that creates a layer of safety for those who feel vulnerable was important to me," said Tom Rissman, CEO of PeopleGuard LLC and one of the developers of the StreetSafe app. "I wanted to create a sort of personal mobile security system, and that's when we thought up StreetSafe." So why use StreetSafe instead of just calling 911? "People think 911 can instantly track where a cell phone is, and that's not the case," he said. "It can take up to six minutes for the police to track a phone because they need to get permission (to do so). If someone is in our system, we have them on GPS and don't need to get permission to track it, so it's instant." Rissman said the app offers two options — green and red. If you slide the red button, StreetSafe silently contacts your local 911 center with your location, tracks your every move through GPS and relays your position to the authorities, and transmits your identification information to the authorities – age, physical description, etc. "If you're in danger, keep your finger next to the red alarm and tuck the phone into your pocket," Rissman said. If you slide the green option, you're immediately connected to a call center staffed by trained safety advisors and off-duty police officers. Rissman said StreetSafe's non-emergency option — the green button -- sets them apart, because it allows the user to talk to experts who can offer safety tips before things get dangerous. "We call this the 'walk with me' service," he said. "Our staff is trained to help with any circumstance. It makes people feel better to know it's there, with or without a crisis." Concerned about your privacy? Rissman says the app is not a tracking device others can use against you. "Our information is kept solely to us and shared with the police and only the police" in case of emergency, he said. "We thought this would be most popular with college students, but young professional women seem to be using it most," he said. Cost for the app varies from $19.99 a month to $149.99 a year and includes the security service. Find out more at StreetSafe.com. (Photo courtesy of Tom Rissman/StreetSafe.com)

As a mother of four, Adie Horowitz had plenty of visits to her family pediatrician's office. But when her kids came down with head lice, she was concerned about the products she was told to use on her children. "They gave me a shampoo that was basically a pesticide, so you're poisoning the bugs, but you're also putting these chemicals on your child," said Horowitz, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. After searching for non-toxic ways to get rid of head lice, Adie was finally frustrated by the lack of options. "I called around and started doing research, and nobody could help me," she said. "I ended up speaking to a woman in Germany who was the head of her PTA and she said, 'We use baking soda and this fabulous comb.' So I devised my own method, created a comb and in an hour I had my kids clean. It was so great." As word got out that Horowitz found a way to beat the bugs without the chemicals, she had trouble keeping up with the requests. "This woman called me and I told her I couldn't clean every head, and she said, 'But I'll pay you!' And that's when a light bulb went off," Horowitz said. Now natural lice products and services have become Horowitz's full-time job. She has stores on the East Coast, and she's also helping families all over the globe through her website, www.licenders.com. "We're expanding all the time," said Horowitz. "I just talked to some people from France. … It feels good to know you're giving people relief without pouring chemicals all over your body."

As a mother of four, Adie Horowitz had plenty of visits to her family pediatrician's office. But when her kids came down with head lice, she was concerned about the products she was told to use on her children. "They gave me a shampoo that was basically a pesticide, so you're poisoning the bugs, but you're also putting these chemicals on your child," said Horowitz, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. After searching for non-toxic ways to get rid of head lice, Adie was finally frustrated by the lack of options. "I called around and started doing research, and nobody could help me," she said. "I ended up speaking to a woman in Germany who was the head of her PTA and she said, 'We use baking soda and this fabulous comb.' So I devised my own method, created a comb and in an hour I had my kids clean. It was so great." As word got out that Horowitz found a way to beat the bugs without the chemicals, she had trouble keeping up with the requests. "This woman called me and I told her I couldn't clean every head, and she said, 'But I'll pay you!' And that's when a light bulb went off," Horowitz said. Now natural lice products and services have become Horowitz's full-time job. She has stores on the East Coast, and she's also helping families all over the globe through her website, www.licenders.com. "We're expanding all the time," said Horowitz. "I just talked to some people from France. … It feels good to know you're giving people relief without pouring chemicals all over your body." (James Krigsman photo courtesy of Adie Horowitz)

You see a need, so you find a solution. That's what makes the following people unique—when faced with life's challenges, they decided to tackle them head-on. Here are their stories. —Jenniffer Weigel, Tribune Newspapers (Got your own story? Send it to us at TribU@Tribune.com with the subject line "No Problem!" and it could be added to the list!)